This Is How Grayson Jennings Defends His Heritage

Why am I not surprised that Virginia Flagger, Grayson Jennings, has taken to social media to vent about my appearance in Petersburg this past week for the 150th anniversary of the battle of the Crater. As I mentioned in my last post, he had every opportunity to engage me following my talk on Friday evening, which was recorded by C-SPAN and slated to air the week of August 18. The potential was there for a very public challenge to the specifics of what I had to say and to my presence generally. Instead, we were treated to SILENCE.

Instead, we have this confused and revealing rant about race that very quickly spiraled into all kinds of fantasies that ultimately tell us much more about Mr. Jennings and his merry band of followers than anything about me.

Just a couple of points.

I spent the week at a Hampton Inn on South Crater Road, just south of the city.

Contrary to Mr. Willie Earl Wells’s memory I was not given a table to sign books at the crater site. I did spend about an hour yesterday morning at the visitor center to sign books. Mr. Wells will be happy to hear that I signed 8 books. As for the encounter that he described, well, I will leave that to you.

Mr. Dunn will be happy to hear that the park service in Petersburg sold most of their stock of my book by the end of the week. 🙂

Again, I have to say that I am feeling so let down by the Virginia Flaggers.

Me too. I’ve been doing some research on Antebellum and Civil War beliefs about slavery & race for my thesis and some of it is just stomach-churning. That some persist in such attitudes today, even somewhat water-downed, is disgusting.

That’s it! Yes! I don’t confess to have gotten through it all. He was one of my favorite instructors. His Constitutional History seminars were intense. He is daunting, thorough, and wryly funny–he scared the hell out of me.

I’m looking for a copy of “Free Men All,” on the personal liberty laws of the North. I lost my copy and it appears to be out of print.

No I hadn’t read this or even heard of it actually. Thank you very much for bringing this to my attention! I found it online and I can get a hard copy at Amazon pretty cheaply. It looks quite interesting…

Its called “keyboard courage” and lots of folks have it. Mr. Jennings obviously did not have the cajones to stand up for his own beliefs in public, but can hide behind his keyboard and write this kind of crap all day long. I don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or get really angry when I see stuff like this.

They are cowards. They had several opportunities to challenge you on historical/factual grounds and they didn’t open their mouths. I suspect it’s because somewhere buried under all the fantasy and can is the realization that the truth is against them..

This is all Susan Hathaway’s fault. Ever since she got skeered of the VMFA she’s let Grayson Jennings and Barry Isenhour do all the talking for her (the other choice would have been trippin’ Tripp Lewis, so she doesn’t have a great selection). Neither of these gentlemen are particularly savvy. Meanwhile Susan goes around the South with Karen Cooper and Billy Bearden in what must be a wonderful road show.

As a group they have nothing to offer without their Confederate flags and when alone, as Jennings was on Friday evening, they are fish out of water. Either way, it’s a truly pathetic sight.

I came down and interacted with scores of people over the course of four days. They achieved nothing and had no impact whatsoever on me. Perhaps it’s time to put up another Confederate flag on a highway. 🙂

Well at least Judah P. Benjamin can be brought up whenever it’s raised. I rather like the scene in Harry Turtledove’s alternate history novel “Guns of the South” where he responds to Benjamin Butler, who had deliberately tried to provoke him with an anti-Semitic comment, that his ancestors were the princes of the Earth while Butler’s were still half-savages wearing animal skins.

As for Turtledove’s book, it was an enjoyable read but one on par with a popcorn movie. That is, entertaining but with enough points to pick apart that one just has to suspend belief.

Wow Kevin, sorry I missed the chance to shake hands. I was on a roll at work and racked up 20 hrs of O.T. so I had to decide what was more important. I guess payin my bills outweighs gettin thrills.
I guarantee ya we would have spoken, and I would have been respectful. Maybe next time.
By the way Kevin what happened to the apology you posted to the S.C.V. and the Flaggers, were you hacked ?

I guarantee ya we would have spoken, and I would have been respectful. Maybe next time.

I am sure you would have been. I just find it funny that after all of his hootin’ and hollerin’ that this is the best Mr. Jennings can do.

By the way Kevin what happened to the apology you posted to the S.C.V. and the Flaggers, were you hacked ?

After thinking about it I decided to revise the update because at that point there still was no indication that a 15-year old had been approached, but even if he was on campus I would have agreed with the decision of campus police.The Flaggers have been known for their embellishments and I see no reason to cut them any slack even with the university’s admission. Given the recent statement by the League of the South I have no problem with the university taking the necessary precautions to secure their campus.

Now, what do you think of Mr. Jennings’s post? Do you believe that I am owed an apology for any of this?

I have no association with the League of the south, a bit extreme for my taste but I suppose the 1st amendment gives folks the right to say what they feel.
As for your removal of the apology, I felt the apology rang kind of hollow to begin with, so removing it was a moot point.
Do I think you are owed an apology ? NO WAY ! You should be realistic in your view of the 15 year old’s situation. W&L admitted that a few incidents happened.(It seems there were Police /Security people present, contrary to what you posted) So I can’t say 100% it did, but given the fact W&L fessed up to (4?) such incidents I find it very possible.
As for Mr. Jennings’s post, What goes around comes around. Not a post I would make, or possibly agree with, but it’s back to the 1st Amendment.
You sound disappointed that the Flaggers were “not” more confrontational at Petersburg. What were you expecting ?

I have no association with the League of the south, a bit extreme for my taste but I suppose the 1st amendment gives folks the right to say what they feel.

I didn’t suggest that you did nor do I disagree with their right to speak out, but I also agree that a school has the right to respond to such announcements and secure its property. As someone who works in the security field I assume you agree as well.
Do I think you are owed an apology ? NO WAY ! You should be realistic in your view of the 15 year old’s situation.W&L admitted that a few incidents happened.(It seems there were Police /Security people present, contrary to what you posted) So I can’t say 100% it did, but given the fact W&L fessed up to (4?) such incidents I find it very possible.

You just made my point. It is possible, but there still has been no confirmation. I updated the post to reflect the university’s announcement, but I see no reason to give the SCV and Flaggers the benefit of the doubt.

As for Mr. Jennings’s post, What goes around comes around. Not a post I would make, or possibly agree with, but it’s back to the 1st Amendment.

Perhaps you can point out where I have ever made such accusations against anyone. Nor have I ever photoshopped an image of you.

You sound disappointed that the Flaggers were “not” more confrontational at Petersburg. What were you expecting ?

Absolutely. Given their chest beating I am at least disappointed that not one attempted to engage me in a forum where they had every opportunity to do so.

Heritage, not hate. Oh, yeah, I can totally see that given the screen shot up above. Yes, they are all so misunderstood. Seriously, folks? I haven’t seen this sort of conversation since I was hanging around the junior high hallways with the mean kids jockeying for position.

I think you do courageous and necessary work; I bought your book as soon as it appeared and found it fascinating. I know it’s hard, but keep doing what you do. I have a special interest in all of this because I have an amazing image of 11 USCTs, all identified, 6 of whom were wounded in the battle. I am working on a talk/article about it, and will post info on fb starting this week. Again, on behalf of another “white apologist” I thank you.

Again my apologies for missing your visit. The press of work and family overwhelmed me.

That there was a conspicuous absence of confrontation is welcome news. It was a time an place for thoughtful contemplation of what those men did on that hellish morning 150 years ago. No 21st Century agenda should be allowed to intrude on that.

And I hope you ate at Nanny’s when you were here! Right by your hotel!

I wasn’t able to go to Petersburg, but I hope to hear your address if it’s ever posted online. I would definitely have gotten a copy of your book signed. I have watched your Gettysburg speech on YouTube. I showed it to my brothers (aged 15) and several of my friends to explain the nature of the conflict at the Crater. It was a very good presentation.

I don’t think these “Flagger” types have ever listened to you speak, or paid attention. Your speech in Gettysburg was actually very respectful to the Confederates at the Crater, probably more so than they deserved. You said many times that the Confederates believed that USCTs were the long-feared slave rebellion realized, and that they believed that their actions were in defense of the civilian population. I don’t know how much more respectful you can be, given what they did at the Crater. What do these Flaggers even want from you?

I chuckled when that guy on Facebook called your book a “book of lies.” I guess E.P. Alexander wrote a book of lies too? Did soldiers write home letters of lies? I guess Confederate Veteran is a magazine of lies too? (okay, bad example). What I’m saying is that the most disgusting accounts of violence come from Confederate sources. “Confederate Veteran” would never publish an account of Crater murder today, but they weren’t shy about it in 1903.

Do any non-murdering accounts of the Crater battle even exist? Every quote I ever saw — literally, EVERY ONE, was bold and open about the racial murder at the Crater. If you were going to write a “book of truths” for the Flaggers, where would you even find sources for it?

Now, I gotta ask: When did you publish “MURDER AT THE CRATER?” I’ve never heard of this title. Is it the sequel to “Remembering the Battle of the Crater: War as Murder”? I didn’t know you were writing a whole series of Crater books now. 😉

I don’t think these “Flagger” types have ever listened to you speak, or paid attention.

I don’t know a single one that has read my book. In fact, when the book came out I invited them to write a review that would be posted on my blog.

I chuckled when that guy on Facebook called your book a “book of lies.”

It’s funny because the first chapter of the book, which analyzes the Confederate response, is to me not very controversial at all once you delve into the primary sources. It’s people like Alexander, Pegram and countless others who were there that day who describe the massacre of blacks in excruciating detail. They were not shy about their involvement and why they believed it was necessary.

The race-baiting by Southerners is laughable. If their families have been in the South for any length of time, especially pre-Civil War, they might be related to their black neighbors as cousins at a minimum and during the war, it might have been brother v. brother.